IN NORFOLK _TOGETHER WITH_ THE GARDEN OF CYRUS TO MY WORTHY AND HONOURED FRIEND THOMAS LE GROS Of _Crostwick_ Esquire. When the Funerall pyre was out, and the last valediction over, men took a lasting adieu of their interred Friends, little expecting the curiosity of future ages should comment upon their ashes, and having no old experience of the duration of their Reliques, held no opinion of such after-considerations. But who knows the fate of his bones, or how often he is to be buried? who hath the Oracle of his ashes, or whether they are to be scattered? The Reliques of many lie like the ruines of [A]_Pompeys_, in all parts of the earth; And when they arrive at your hands, these may seem to have wandred farre, who in a [B]direct and _Meridian_ Travell, have but few miles of known Earth between your selfe and the Pole. [A] Pompeios juvenes Asia, atque Europa, sed ipsum terra tegit _Lybies_. [B] _Little directly, but Sea between your house and_ Greenland. That the bones of _Theseus_ should be seen again [C]in _Athens_, was not beyond conjecture, and hopeful expectation; but that these should arise so opportunely to serve your self, was an hit of fate and honour beyond prediction. [C] _Brought back by _Cimon. _Plutarch._ We cannot but wish these Urnes might have the effect of Theatrical vessels, and great [D]_Hippodrome_ Urnes in _Rome_; to resound the acclamations and honour due unto you. But these are sad and sepulchral Pitchers, which have no joyfull voices; silently expressing old mortality, the ruines of forgotten times, and can only speak with life, how long in this corruptible frame, some parts may be uncorrupted; yet able to out-last bones long unborn, and noblest [E]pyle among us. [D] _The great Urnes in the_ Hippodrome _at_ Rome _conceived to resound the voices of people at their shows._ [E] _Worthily possessed by that true Gentleman Sir_ Horatio Townshend _my honored Friend_. We present not these as any strange sight or spectacle unknown to your eyes, who have beheld the best of Urnes, and noblest variety of Ashes; Who are your self no slender master of Antiquities, and can daily command the view of so many Imperiall faces; Which raiseth your thoughts unto old things, and consideration of times before you, when even living men were Antiquities; when the living might exceed the dead, and to depart this world, could not be properly said, to go unto the [F]greater number. And so run up your thoughts upon the ancient of dayes, the Antiquaries truest object, unto whom the eldest parcels are young, and earth it self an Infant; and without [G]Ægyptian account makes but small noise in thousands. [F] Abiit ad plures. [G] _Which makes the world so many years old._